Description
This girl is a gift for well-behaved men. The one who bursts into a party and suddenly makes you want to believe in Father Christmas. Half way between a flirtatious temptress and a dancing queen, temperature rises just by her presence. To hell with “global warming” She’s here to have fun, no matter what. Heavenly lightness in December…
Sweet honey notes at the start lie on a vanilla-tangerine accord and all at once life becomes as captivating as the fullness of her décolleté. It’s soft and warm, notes swirl and dance, and the world starts spinning, like a faceted mirror ball, marvel of all marvels. In the heart, red pepper mingles with nigella in a detonating cocktail of scents. Hot red lips adorn a lavishly extraverted smile. Breathtaking!
The slightly musky, solar accord of the base tells the radiant warmness of her skin under her laughing throat. She calls for her after-midnight man, the one who will abduct her under the Xmas tree. And who will jealously sweep her off her feet and into his room, like a child would with his most precious present.
Composition: Tangerine, vanilla, honey, orange blossom, apricot, red pepper, patchouli, musk, cistus, cinnamon, nigella…
Nose for this fragrance is Antoine Maisondieu. Noel au Balcon was launched in 2007.
tracer_13 – :
Every aspect of this is feel-good.
The top notes of this are fantastic – honey, soft spices, orange blossom… all sweet and warm without any sharp edges anywhere. It also feels satisfyingly full, too, that enough money has been spent on the scent for it to feel complex but not complicated. The first spray out of the tester was so good I instantly went for four of five more just to lose myself in the scent. It was an oddly strong reaction to just want more, more, more of something discovered just that instant.
I was fearful that with top notes this good, the drydown would have cut corners. However, I found it perfectly sound. It becomes more fruity over time – like stewed, sweet fruits and spices – and it starts to creep into Lutensian territory into the drydown but remains softer and more light-hearted than the sculpted lines of a Serge creation.
For what it is worth, the name for this is spot on. There are the spices, woods and stewed fruits of a Christmas scent but it is made unexpectedly sunny by some unseasonable weather, or, in this case, orange blossom and honey.
russell – :
I’m not really into honey-based fragrances. I’ve tried Back to Black and although I admit it’s a very good perfume it didn’t work for me. Noël au Balcon is a different story. It’s syrupy, fruity, and slightly honeyed too, but also sparkling and cheerful, like festive fireworks. I’m very fond of this fragrance and if ambrosia had a smell, it would probably be this one – Noël au Balcon!
artmur – :
I expected this to be a bit more ‘holiday gourmand’ than it was, but even though it failed to meet that expectation, I do still very much like it.
Lots of apricot and honey in the opening, the woody notes keep it from veering off into foodie territory, and it dries down into an understated spicy skin scent.
While not quite the marzipan confection I had expected, this will still get a fair share of wear.
Nikosha – :
I picked this on Scentbird hoping for a perfect October scent and it has a good gourmand and spice to it but I don’t love it. I mostly get apricot and cinnamon but was hoping for something a little smokier. Good but not great. LE SIGH.
kekszzz – :
honey and orange blossom with a hint of apricot and labdanum
zlm943Negeltzex – :
This perfume is everything I wanted for the fall months and holiday season. I can’t wait to watch Hall mark Christmas movies (don’t judge me!!) with my whiskey and ginger ale while wearing a cozy sweater and this scent. It reminds me of the clove spiked orange my mom would boil on the stove with a cinnamon stick to make the house smell nice for holiday parties. Remek!
fuad.az – :
This is the first perfume I’m trying from this brand because it’s notes caught my eyes.the idea of a spicy honey scent looks lovely for me and indeed Noel au balcon IS lovely
It opens with a orangey honey blast.it’s sweet but juicy orange keeps it fresh,then orange fades and is replaced by dried apricots and it becomes spicy in a very pleasant way.I can smell cinnamon,pepper and unlisted ginger note.imagine a dessert made off honey,appricot,pepper and gingerbread with a dash of cinnamon sprinkled on it.yes,it’s as delicious as it sounds.it’s sweet spiciness reminded me etro etra,though in whole they smell totally different.this stage is delicious and attractive and interesting but it good get cloying if it lasted like this but this is not a linear scent.
Orange blossom which was standing shy behind spicy gourmand notes,comes out of shadow and starts blooming.on the other hand vanilla shows up and rounds spices and fruity sharp edges and turns it’s sharp,jam like sweetness to a soft,creamy sweetness.there are still fruits and spices but in a faded way.drydown is a combination of honey,orange blossom,vanilla and a light touch of spices.these are all my favourite notes so no wonder I like it.it’s rich and soft at the same time.I can’t pick up other base notes individually but they’re definitely there giving dry down more perfumy vibe and preventing it from smelling too foody
I liked it and I may buy a bottle for the next fall(if other options in my loooong wishlist let me and if they don’t make it more pricey because even it’s current price,90$,seems a bit high for me)
Longevity is about 5-6 hours on me and sillage is moderate.unfortunately when it reaches to my favorite phase,creamy honeyed,spicy orange blossom,it’s very close to skin but all in all I must say that I really enjoyed it and there are not many niche perfumes which I enjoy enough to consider buying them for myself
❤❤❤❤
شروع عطر با ترکیب عسل و پرتقال همراه هست که رایحه آبدار و شاداب پرتقال مانع از این شده ک عسل سنگین بنظر برسه.خیلی زود پرتقال کمرنگتر میشه و با زردآلو خشکه جایگزین میشه و فضای عطر بیشتر و بیشتر اسپایسی میشه..دارچین،فلفل وباوجودی ک جزو نت ها نیست،زنجبیل کاملا محسوسن..یه دسر با عسل و زردآلو و نون زنجبیلی و چند قطره هم آب پرتقال شیرین تصور کنید که روش دارچین بپاشیم.همونقدر که بنظر میاد خوشمزه ست و حالت خوراکی طور داره.بااینکه بشخصه عطرهای شیرین و اسپایسی و خوشمزه دوس دارم اما حس میکردم اگه کل طول عمر عطر به این شکل باشه دلمو میزنه اما خوشبختانه نوئل او بالکن عطر خطی نیست و کم کم شروع ب تغییر میکنه.با پدیدار شدن وانیلی لطیف و خامه ای،روایح میوه ای و اسپایسی هرچند کاملا حذف نمیشن،ملایمتر میشن،عسل از اون حلت غلیظ و چسبناکی ک داشت خارج میشه و سبکتر میشه و شکوفه پرتقال که درتمام طول این مدت،بی سروصدا و خجالتی پشت نت های خوشمزه قایم شده بود،از سایه بیرون میاد و با قدرت شروع به عطرافشانی میکنه
درای داون ترکیبی از شکوفه پرتقال ،عسل و وانیله که فقط کمی با ادویه جات و میوه ها طعم گرفته..سنگینی و تیزی و شیرینی غلیظ اوایل عمر عطر رو نداره و لطیفتره..بقیه نت های پایه رو بصورت مجزا حس نمیکنم اما قطعا خضور دارن و باحضورشون مانع از این میشن ک درای داون هم خوراکی طور بمونه و حالت عطری بهش میدن
باتوجه به اینکه همیشه میکس عسل،وانیل و شکوفه پرتقال رو دوست داشتم عجیب نیست ک نوئل او بالکن رو می پسندم درحدیکه احتمالا برای پاییز آینده بخرمش البته اگه گرونتر نشه چون همبن قیمت ۳۵۰ تومنیش هم بنظرم براش کمی زیاده
موندگاری ۵،۶ ساعته و پخش متوسط داره.متاسفانه وقتی به مرحله محبوب من یعنی ترکیب وانیلی خامه ای شکوفه پرتقال و عسل اسپایسی میرسه دیگه پخش چندانی نداره و ملایم شده،بااینحال درکل ازش خوشم اومد
Ivant89 – :
All their perfume don’t last and is very close to the skin. A disappointment.
nxe872intitytek – :
This is my Christmas scent! It is so warm and cozy! It feels so comfortable!
For me it is a honey/orange blossom bomb. It lasts verrry long on my skin!
I am an ELdO fan anyway, this is one of my favorites from this house.
I’d consider this a winter scent, also suitable for late fall, it’s nothing I would wear in spring or summer.
maxigek – :
At first I get a strong unpleasant indolic note from the orange blossom, and that is almost a firm dealbreaker. But after it fades into the background, I smell sweet, lightly spiced, honeyed fruits, with a splash of orange blossom water. It really does smell like some kind of exotic fragrant dessert. For cold weather only though, it’s much too sweet for me to be able to tolerate in warm weather. Perfect for cold holiday season nights though. It makes me think “sugarplums”.
leonid10170 – :
This has hard hitting honey. vanilla, and apricot notes, soft and warm and full, but there is cinnamon, clover, red pepper, caraway, patchouli, and musk. This one is sweet and sensual, but has a of
hot and spicy also, kind of like my idea of a perfect marriage.
vano4254 – :
Warm scent,sweet and special. I love the cinnamon that combines well with the other notes, especially with honey and apricot… after a few minutes begins to turn into something magical. I also feel the chili but not too much, there is in some way as well as orange blossom in the distance…. it is a nice spicy and sweet perfume at the same time. The part I like most is the drydown! The sillage is soft longevity average. I’m happy for my purchase!
Sillage: 6./10
Longevity: 7.5/10
Scent: 8.5/10
Overall: 8.5/10
Dima – :
I had really high hopes for this one. I expected a rich, warm, cozy wintery scent with a hint of pepper. But sadly it hasn’t met that expectation it is very light and fruity, very faint, I can barely smell it and I can’t detect the pepper at all. It’s nice, but for this price, 5 minutes of nice is just a joke.
I have 100+ niche samples for swap within Europe – updated spreadsheet of samples on my profile, get in touch!
ShinobiKen – :
This one is such a warm, cozy fall/winter type of scent. It has a warm, honey-cinnamon, fruit type of scent that makes you think of baked goods. There’s a little sweetness, but it’s not overbearing. The apricot blends well with the honey, and the citrus gives it a bit of freshness.
As simplistic as the description sounds, I’m madly in love with it! My little decant is quickly shrinking, so onto my to-purchase list it goes!
sr44 – :
Oh wow – this is just gorgeous! Juicy, fresh citrus drizzled with honey, gentle wafts of vanilla and musk, with cinnamon and patchouli peeping out from time to time. This is definitely a scent I’d describe as sparkling – fresh, feminine, sweet but not too sweet. And, wonder of wonders, my husband liked it! I’ve been asking him to have a sniff all of the scents I’ve been sampling, and initially he wasn’t impressed, but about an hour later he walked past me, then came back and started sniffing and said I smelt lovely. I kept on getting beautiful wafts of it through the day. Sillage is good, as is longevity – I could still smell it, although much softer, eight hours later. Definitely FBW, and definitely on my wish-list!
seaman-rom – :
I have yet to find one ELdO perfume that comes even remotely close to living up to the hype of its marketing. This house is like a man who doesn’t shut up about all the amazing things he’s done and exotic places he’s been, and then you find out he once took a package holiday to the south of France and that’s it. ELdO seems so in-your-face desperate to be seen as edgy and revolutionary but their products never deliver. They talk the talk…and that’s it.
Noel Au Balcon is an expensive Christmas candle scent. Apricot, plum, mulling spices, honey. And the general effect of potpourri. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing all that great, either. Would be worth paying half their asking price at the very most.
FlamingX – :
My impression of this scent upon first spray was spiced plums, reminiscent of Jo Malone’s Pomegranate Noir. I was confused when I reread the notes and realized it was apricot. NOel has one of the most beautiful honey scents that I have smelled, but unfortunately the honey was just too strong for me and I had to scrub it off. It is a beautiful scent, perfect for holiday festivities and I really wish the honey did not overpower.
georgiy43 – :
The description of Etat Libre d’Orange’s Noel Au Balcon promises a sensual, naughty experience; however, this juice is G-rated. The sweet cinnamon and ginger opening develops into a powdery finish of tonka bean and patchouli. After about 10 minutes on my skin, creamy sandalwood and cotton candy is also detected. The warm familiarity of Noel Au Balcon is reminiscent of a childhood birthday party after the candles have been blown out: candle wax melting on a cloud of vanilla buttercream frosting, while a gentle whisper of smoke lingers in the air. Silage is average; longevity is about 3 hours. Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Occuplefreese – :
I would say that this is strictly for females. I orders a bunch of samples and thought it would be unisex but I was wrong. It’s a warm spicy scent almost landing in gourmand territory but falling a bit short. The pepper gives it spice along with the caraway that keeps it from being too sweet but still feminine. I am surprised that it is not more popular but I guess most folks see ELDO creations as strange so they shy away from them. I like it myself, but would buy a bottle only for a female.
lelikbolikus – :
Smells pretty much identical to “Tea for Two” by L’Artisan, minus the tea note. Juicy cutesy apricot and sweet spicy cinnamon sticks drizzled with honey. There is an element of something green and sharp giving balance to the gourmand notes and preventing them from becoming gooey or cloying. The whole composition feels quite delicate and sheer.
The result is a warm, pretty scent that would suit pretty much anyone.
SAnYy – :
Several months ago I bought an ELdO discovery pack of samples and worked my way through it, sampling and taking notes; I thought (like many others, as it turns out) that Noel was reminiscent of cooked apricot jam — or glaze, as on French patisserie — but otherwise I was underwhelmed. I returned to it today and was much more impressed. I would be happy to be corrected, but I think NaB is probably unique in being a femme tobacco frag. Yes, it features honey, apricot, cinnamon and vanilla, but the key impression is a richer, more herbal grassy sweetness, like freshly-rubbed pipe-tobacco .. . and yet … it’s a femme. It’s unusual, intriguing, and seductive (it smells much better on skin that on paper). So many of ELdO’s frags trade on a certain kind of evocative, edgy grubbiness — the scent of urban interiors — hotels, casinos, bars — with traces of cigarette smoke, spilled coffee, carpets and bedding stained with rum, coke, smeared make-up, and bodies that have ‘freshened up’ with a spritz of scent in preference to a turn through the shower. Sometimes this trick works, other times it feels a little blunt. I’m happy to report that, in the case of NaB, it works out just fine: an eccentric businesswoman invites you up to her Vegas hotel penthouse and — against all the odds — you don’t end up in an episode of CSI.
xtk148Unlogrere – :
Apricots stewed in honey, made peppery with chilli and cinnamon over homemade ice cream, flecked with vanilla bean. I imagine this served at a hole in the wall dessert bar where the wait time to be seated exceeds fifteen minutes, and is most likely known for its vegan offerings. Its furnishings have leapt straight from a Pinterest board of collected interiors. The restroom soaps are musky, floral and boutique, and your date is clad in vintage leather.
пgreckiy1 – :
Check out “Musc Ravageur” by Frederic Malle. It’s a male scent and quite dense and deep and dark and warm.
This is the fruity, female version.
Lovely, apart from the typical spiciness I get a lot of dried apricot.
Very sweet, very warm. Very lovely. But not a game changer.
lexass123777 – :
Somebody at Bond could learn something from Antoine Maisondieu’s Noel au Balcon. My main problem with the Bonds I’ve tried is that they acquire a potpourri or Yankee Candle effect, which is the ultimate hex in niche. Despite the number of expensive aroma chemicals or talented noses you put behind it, a fragrance that resembles potpourri is going to smell cheap. Why? Because rarely does any one element stand out in potpourri. The smell of potpourri is usually quite spineless, a mere assemblage of pleasant-smelling woods and mashed-up florals, their often synthetic aromas converging into a bland miasma, a sort of featureless olfactory cloud. Yes, it may smell rather nice for five minutes, but eventually one of two things happens: your nose tunes it out, or you get a headache and leave the room.
What distances this ELDO scent from that kind of association is Maisondieu’s balancing act between sugar and spice. The pyramids at Giza come to mind. Those structures are built in two layers, granite and limestone. One is radioactive, and the other insulating. Together they form a mysterious machine. Maisondieu’s over-active energy generator is a super-aromatic clutch of patchouli, chili, labdanum, neroli, caraway, and cinnamon. Alone, these materials would likely go well together, but would “bind” into a formless odor of no distinction. The fresh sweetness of neroli, cinnamon, and labdanum would not rise above the vibrating patchouli, chili, and caraway.
But with an outer insulating layer of animalic sweetness and fresh fruit, suddenly NaB becomes a lovely fragrance. The natural skankiness of honey directs and contains the flow of the spices, while the bright juiciness of peach harnesses the florals. The result is something immediately gratifying and truly timeless, a work of perfection in perfumery. This brand tends to irritate me with their overly-synthetic and gimmicky fragrances, but wearing this one has been a pleasure.
Vhadim – :
Noel au Balcon by Etat Libre d`Orange basically shoves a bunch of honey and orange blossom up your nose and then jack hammers until your brain hurts. I like it. There is a little spice along with some animalic naughtiness, and I would put NaB in the same category as Narciso Rodriguez for Her; it’s very sweet and suggestive. Perhaps “skank for beginners” is another appropriate category.
3/5
Edit: I just read a review that pointed out NaB smells like a scented candle; unfortunately, I agree with this assessment and now the pleasant aroma has transitioned from fine fragrance to holiday fart camouflage.
ylakljsjdrtyya – :
I agree with sherapop of being initially reminded of Tilda Swinton’s Like This (which is better, but not FB worth). The very strong orange blossom note mixed with strong musk notes than remind me of Boudoir (also not a favourite). I don’t get chili or cinnamon (both also no favourites), but a very fruity apricot stays on my skin (guess what, apricot is no favourite of mine, too). I know, why test it, if all the notes seems to be not favourites? (I have no answer to you) At least it gets a little dirty after a while – dirty and very sweet (like honey, but honey smells different).
I can see this perfume been worn by someone else (preferably young, beautiful and a little naive) and than it might be nice, but it’s not for me (written while testing Rien on the other arm and being blown away).
sanok_buagy – :
Etat Libre d’Orange are known stylistically for their cheeky tone and snarky perfumes. As a brand, they poke a stick at contemporary notions of bland luxury. Branding tailors images to implant in the public mind and then builds a series of associations. But branding also takes into account the self-reference of the branded. We perfume consumers should be watchful and consider how a brand presents and refers to itself. ELDO’s motto, “Le parfum est mort. Vive le Parfum!” (Perfume is dead. Long live perfume!) tells you to expect irreverence and insouciance. ELDO’s topics, or so they tell us, are prostitution, intimate bodily fluids, Sex Pistols, carrion, cross-dressing, yadda, yadda… Depending on your perspective, you might find the brand anarchic or dilettante. My approach in considering their perfume is simply to disregard everything but the perfume and myself.
So in honor of Etat Libre’s revolutionary tone, I present my own motto for perfume criticism: “Fuck the PR. Smell the perfume!”
I should admit up front that I’m a great fan of many of ELDO’s perfumes, and think the house has a much better than average success for their perfumes. The most successful of their perfumes succeed for the fact that they are beautiful examples of classical genres of perfume. Jasmin et Cigarettes is a gorgeous, husky-voiced woody floral. Rien, a perfectly balanced stark leather. Vraie Blonde, a concise, inventive take on the floral oriental. Fat Electrician and Nombril Immense are clean and beautifully edited takes on the contemporary vetiver and patchouli. Afternoon of a Faun is one of the best nouvelles chypres.
ELDO posit themselves as very current, very contemporary, apart from the mainstream, and on promotional level they are. But their dirty little secret is that they are more traditional than they appear. I think they are neither misguided nor cynical. I simply find that their public representation underestimates the degree to which they are a part of an artistic tradition. ELDO remind me of the 1960s Catholic ‘folk mass.’ Post Vatican II, there was all sorts of fiddling with the window displays in the Catholic Church. This is the sort of redirection that ELDO do: change the set dressing a bit, leave the dogma in place.
Noel au Balcon is a wonderful example. It’s sold as a cheeky near-gourmand perfume. It’s presented as a considered offering to a thoughtless genre. Perhaps this angle might work on a perfume wearer who is young and ahistorical enough to see the contemporary gourmand genre as classical. I’m old enough to see Noel au Balcon for what it is: a traditional spicy oriental perfume in the grand manner. Resinous and rich, it’s filled with vanilla, amber, benzoin, spices. Read any description of Tabu, Emeraude or Shalimar written before the era of the contemporary gourmand and what you’ll find could be a description of Noel au Balcon. The term oriental itself, when applied to perfume, is a throwback. It’s a vestige of the colonial exoticism of Western European of the early 20th century. 100 years ago ‘gourmand’ could just as easily have been the name for these perfumes. Instead, the marketing of the day keyed into the paternalist style of the racism of the era (Quel Exotique!) and promoted orientalism in perfumery.
So, if you’re an upstart line, and don’t want to be identified as making Shalimar for youngsters, what do you do? It’s telling that ELDO avoid the obvious choice in the first place: making an identifiably “modern” perfume. Image-manipulation is shown to be as important them them as it is to any mainstream perfumer. Making a wonderful, but quite conventional, in fact old-fashioned perfume, but selling it as ‘the new thing‘ rather than making a ‘contempo-gourmand’ in the first place exposes the real strategy and reveals the old boys at Etat Libre to be closet conservatives. They would rather change the marketing than change the perfume. I’ll repeat, because this is the critical point in seeing through ELDO’s smoke. It’s more important to make a beautiful perfume, following generations of trial to perfect the genre, than it is to make something new. Even within ELDO’s own line Noel seems staid. Compared to Like This, a more up-to-date gourmand that erases the line between sweet and savory in perfume, Noel might as well be a 40-year-old bottle of taboo.
Of course, ELDO would want to hide all this from you! It defeats the entire premise of, “le parfum est mort.” The key is then, how do you sell it? ELDO’s approach here is hardly new either: Titties. A clever turn of phrase (a full balcony in French refers to a hefty bosom) and surprisingly unclever image (just titties) are the red herring that keeps you from comparing Noel to Shalimar and helps you to swallow the fairy tale, to drink the kool-aid.
If you believe ELDO’s mission statement and anarchic posturing, then they have inadvertently done what Maison Francis Kurkdjian contrive to do, which is to create a traditional French perfume house from the ground up. I happen to think that ELDO, for all their niche-y posing, are simply an excellent perfume house.
I’m not saying fuck the brand. I’m saying fuck the branding. Ignore ELDO’s marketing, but smell their perfume. It’s wonderful.
from scenthurdle.com
Lakku – :
I had originally intended to buy Putain des Palaces when I was in the shop, but happened to spritz myself on the hand with Noel Au Balcon ( I kept thinking ‘Bacon’!!). It smelt so lovely I bought that instead.
To me, this smells exactly like Christmas, a little sickly sweet, a little cinnamon, a little candy cane, more gourmand than I’m used to. It also reminds me of the Gingerbread Man shower gel from Philosophy.
The first few hours, I couldn’t stop sniffing my hand, and it was not that sweet yet, but as the night wore on, the scent got sweeter and sweeter, to the point that I felt, yes this is great stuff, but ENOUGH already. I took a shower and scrubbed my hand hard with some potent lemon-smelling wash.
That night, I kept getting whiffs of this sweet cloying smell from my hand, and woke up a little annoyed. I took another shower and washed my hand.
2 days later (today) I woke up and still caught whiffs of the damn scent!! I can only assume that some of it had rubbed off on my pillow when I had it on the first night 2 days ago (after the shower mind you!) and somehow it’s now transferred back onto me.
I love this scent, but it’s gotten to the point where it’s cloying and refuses to leave me alone!! It’s exactly like last Christmas where I stuffed myself with candy canes and eggnog, and later felt happy but totally sick from all that sugar. I’m very sad about this as I just bought this and I do love the first couple hours of it.
I’m washing my bedsheets and leaving this scent alone till I’m ready to face it again.
Sillage: Pretty good, my friends could catch whiffs of me from 2 metres away.
Longevity: What do you think I’d say?!
robi_1981 – :
Spiced cherries, wine, and fresh winter balcony air during the first half of wear. Very stunning and unusual. Reminds me of a Christmas holiday party with people out on the veranda wearing swanky burgundy sequin dresses and bow ties.
Part two smells like saliva and certain parts of the female anatomy. I really enjoy this fragrance but can’t think of any occasion to wear it…except maybe to a Christmas party where I want everyone to think I just made out with someone in the bathroom.
sashass21 – :
I was surprised how much I liked Noel au Balcon for the first sniff. The notes did not strike me as too special, there are many other spicey-honey smelling scents. However, when I smelled it, I loved it. It is a loud yet nice scent, with a succulent fruity note and later on spicey, warm honey and some neroli thrown into the mix. Love it, it is a friendly fragrance to me, really like a girl who will dance and laugh all day&night.
Diemefredrifs – :
It’s a lovely perfume that smells like marmelade, like a sweet (it reminds me a very well known traditional sweet of my country which is in fact caramelized slices of spiced oranges, with cinnamon and vanilla or other spices).
Here all the ingredients smell so very natural and the perfume lasts very long.
Though I like it, it’s very gourmant and ‘foodsy’ for me, I wouldn’t wear it but I think it worths the its money!
denpetrov123 – :
Noel au Balcon, an oriental? Are you sure? This smells a fruity floral to me. To be honest I usually despise fruity floral, but this one is too good to be missed.
Orange blossom is there from beginning to end, working as the backbone. It’s done in exactly the same way as in Serge Lutens Fleur d’Oranger: bright, sunny and fresh. What makes it really stand out is the combination of fruit and spice. Have you ever tried eating half-ripe apricot and orange with crushed cinnamon and chilli powder sprinkled on top, like people in tropical countries sometimes do? It might sound a bit weird, but the result is a most mouthwatering fruit salad you can’t get enough of. What’s even better is that you’re eating it under a blossomy orange tree! If they could add a bit salty note in here, this will be a masterpiece. But so far it’s already worth a full bottle. The sillage is good and it easily lasts more than 6 hours on me. If you want a fruity floral with class and edge, here is the answer.
mitinmit – :
I am officially enamoured of Etat Libre scents. I got five in one shopping spree on a very good deal this being one of the darlings! I can see where other reviewers got the festive sense from this perfume. It’s dazzling fairy lights flickering in a cosy rosy room brimming with joy and laughter. The honey flaked with cinnamon, dashed with caraway seeds and with the juice of oranges completed with a garnish of orange blossoms. It’s not a Christmas advert though in my opinion and great for everyday wear when you want a spring in your step. A beautifully rich and smooth composition. Well done!! Please do try it!! In the drydown, I get lovely soothing orange blossoms all the way, it’s like a hot mug of honeyed water that mom added some citrus to. Not too tart, not too sweet, just wonderfully soothing.
I have to add that the scent stays rather close in the drydown and lasted on clothes for about 8 hours.
danchick94 – :
Etat Libre d’Orange NOEL AU BALCON reminds me a bit of TILDA SWINTON LIKE THIS in its foodishness. It seems almost edible, except for the other half of the perfume, which wafts of the candle section of Pier 1 Imports around Christmastime.
There is a serious holiday potpourri vibe going on here which would make this unpleasant for me to wear as a perfume. In fact, as I wore NOEL AU BALCON this morning, I kept hoping that it would have poor longevity, which of course it did not. I think that this scent could be achieved by throwing a handful of potpourri into a pan of fruitcake batter before baking.
There are still a few traces of this perfume following me around many hours after application, and I continue to see images of Pier 1 Imports’ candle section at Christmastime in my mind’s eye.
Not for me.
boginsky – :
Day two of trying out my Lucky Scent sample haul.
Opening the vial, I got the honey and tangerine immediately. The tangerine quickly departed.
I asked my husband what he thought. “It reminds me of something. Something high-end.”
I kept sniffing as the spice and pepper took over and the sweet started to retreat.
Mitsouko, maybe, or Poison. I don’t have any of either around to compare.
It’s been 20ish years since I wore Poison and I had a brief affair with Mitsouko about 10 years ago, but something about this (pepper?) reminds me of both of these.
This is a once and a while, sweater scent (or what people used to refer to as “parfum de fourrure”, fur perfume) for elegant nights out in cold weather.
It’s too spicy for me to wear on a daily basis.
blappycillelt – :
This is a beautiful fragrance and very long-lasting. I can still smell it after taking a shower. It is sweet but if you hold the bottle about 5 inches away when you spray it, it will smell less sweet. I love wearing this in the winter.
Lelius – :
Noël au Balcon is one of the most uniquely beautiful fragrances from one of the most unique houses.
This fragrance is all about contrast…the concept of sweet and spicy working together to create something beyond each individual note.
Initially NaB is all about syrupy honey and a warm yet gentle cinnamon note. A subtle juiciness comes through from the orange.
Then along comes the chilli pepper, blasting onto the scene in a dramatic and startling entrance, cutting through the sweetness and spicing up the entire composition.
The dry down is a spicy honeyed vanilla, which lingers on skin all evening long.
I don’t find NaB particularly sexy, but instead it’s a homely comfort fragrance that is great during the bitter cold of the winter months.
When I wear this it really does conjure up the images of a “warm Christmas” as the name suggests, sitting in front of a cozy hearth where stockings hang, with this comforting scent settled all around in a fragrant cloud.
A little strange as a perfume, but hauntingly beautiful.
valerchikk – :
First of all I want to thank Martika for offering me a sample of Noel au Balcon,I was so eager to try it!The initial spray is a blast of honey!Rich warm honey,tamed by cinnamon. I must confess that I needed more cinnamon in it.I don’t smell anything else,honey,cinnamon which after a couple of seconds becomes creamier more ‘vanillic’.It’s a nice honey scent,not too sweet or cloying,it has a normal level of sweetness. Although I wish it lasted more than 20 minutes on my skin.After half an hour strong honey is gone,cinnamon too,and there’s only left a very soft powdery trail of honey.Lasting power is very bad on me,I could hardly smell it after an hour.Overall,it is an interesting scent if you like honey.
di201i – :
I remember a few years ago when Etat fragrances were unavailable where I lived, I dreamed of getting this one unsniffed. The notes look mouthwatering, and I am a sucker for sweet/spicy fragrances. I got a sample some time ago, and I am thinking… Is this really something I would love to have?
To start off, it is very sweet. Perhaps even horribly sweet. There is a lot of honey and apricot jam here and loads of cinnamon and orange blossom. You can tell from the first sniff. It is not a girly type of sweetness, nevertheless, it can be quit